


I'll Take Both of You

by sweetcarolanne



Category: American Horror Story: Asylum
Genre: Ableist Language, Angels, Bechdel Test Pass, Canonical Character Death, Fallen Angels, Gen, Justice, Misses Clause Challenge, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Supernatural Elements, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 03:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5481710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/pseuds/sweetcarolanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“But you failed,” said Shachath softly. “I took both you and Mary Eunice – and now you, in your way, have lost your life even as she has lost hers. Your wings can no longer enable you to take flight, and your immortal strength is gone. This futile quest of yours, to reign in Heaven and on Earth as you did in Hell, has cost you much, cousin.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Take Both of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ariestess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/gifts).



> Inspired by some of your prompts, dear Ariestess - I hope you enjoy this treat!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I am not making money from this, suing is a waste of time!
> 
> Many thanks to my beta who wishes to remain anonymous.

Shachath could not help but raise one eyebrow. Despite herself, her usually kind and patient eyes were filled with a more than slight amusement.

“Were you hoping to shock me, cousin?” she asked gently, and was met with a snort of disdain and a rather pronounced and inappropriately childish pout from the being she had just addressed.

“Of course not,” the fallen angel who (except for the wings which by divine right still belonged to her) continued to wear the face and body of the deceased Sister Mary Eunice retorted, her tone shrewish and brittle. “I just happen to have better taste in clothes than you do. That black ensemble is completely out of fashion. I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed things have changed on Earth in the last twenty or so years. After all, you seem to care so much about mortals and their precious souls. You could be more observant about how they conduct themselves in the world.”

The fallen angel shrugged her wings, all soft black feathers resembling Shachath’s own, in blatant irritation, and plucked at the skirt of her sheer red silk and lace slip with twitching fingers that betrayed the nervousness she was obviously struggling to hide. A few of the feathers fell to the ground, dislodged by her earlier, and unsuccessful, battle to spread those wings and flee.

“The outer trappings of humanity are irrelevant to me, as you know full well,” Shachath replied, her voice still soft and steady. “As you so stridently pointed out, it is their souls that are of concern. And it was not the clothing that I was referring to – it was the fact that you still choose to appear as Mary Eunice instead of reverting to your own form.”

Another shrug made the wings of the fallen angel shake even harder, and she scowled at Shachath. “I didn’t see the point in getting changed, that’s all. One shell is as good as another. And it’s not as if this can hurt her any more, can it? She’s off to Heaven with the other pure souls, like she always wanted, like the Miss Goody Two Shoes she always was. Or that you thought she was.”

A bitter smile twisted the still beautiful face of Mary Eunice. “It’s exactly like I told you. She liked me being there. She wasn’t so innocent, all sweetness and compassion for monsters and little retarded girls.”

Shachath tilted her head to one side, her expression slightly puzzled. “And what do you believe she was?”

“She was human – all too human,” the fallen angel said dismissively. “And humans are vain and needy. She wanted attention, and she wanted someone to care for her. Most of all, she wanted to stop being the victim she’s always been, the poor silly girl everybody took advantage of.”

“But you took advantage of her too,” Shachath replied quietly, and the fallen angel nodded, taking a few delicate tiptoe steps on Mary Eunice’s feet and pirouetting slowly.

“Who wouldn’t, in my position? She was perfect for my plans. And admit it, oh self-righteous one, even you and your kind up on high must have enjoyed my toying with nasty Nazi Arden. Surely he deserved to suffer, just a little? Or, to put it bluntly, he deserved to suffer a lot. He was certainly evil enough by your standards, wasn’t he?”

“It has never been my place to pass judgement,” Shachath told the fallen one, and Mary Eunice’s lovely face was contorted into a truly demonic sneer this time.

“No, I suppose your sisters will be doing that, those pinch-faced, simpering Daddy’s girls who think they’re so regal and majestic and fit to sit in condemnation of me, when given half a chance they’d love to seize the power I’ve been able to take. They wouldn’t dare, though, because deep down they’re all as spineless as dear Mary Eunice was. Admit it – I’m the only one who has truly achieved something out of all of us. I could have ended up ruling here on Earth through my puppet Pope, and then soon Heaven would have been within my grasp again!”

“But you failed,” said Shachath softly. “I took both you and Mary Eunice – and now you, in your way, have lost your life even as she has lost hers. Your wings can no longer enable you to take flight, and your immortal strength is gone. This futile quest of yours, to reign in Heaven and on Earth as you did in Hell, has cost you much, cousin.”

Shachath fell silent as the wings of the fallen one trembled in agitation, and, as Shachath accurately sensed, a touch of fear. 

“Those bitches don’t frighten me. I know they won’t be able to destroy me, or make me burn for all eternity,” the fallen angel said stoutly, trying to recover some of her bravado. “I’m not some weakling of a damned soul, all cowardice in the face of judgement like Arden will be. I’m stronger than that, and I will be powerful again. I’m not afraid of anything they can do to me.”

“I can tell you’re lying, cousin,” Shachath said, regarding her fallen relative curiously, “and you know that I can tell. You want me to think that you are unconcerned about your fate, just because it will not be death or damnation as it would be for a human who had committed unforgivable transgressions.” She moved to circle the still defiant fallen angel, her eyes seemingly filled with sadness now. 

“But whatever powers you once possessed are now null and void. Even a mortal would be able to overcome you physically now, and I doubt you would be able to seduce anyone with your cunning any more, although your mind still seems as sharp as ever. My kiss made sure that you were weakened, and my sisters will make sure, in their turn, that you will be eternally prevented from causing any further harm.”

Shachath ceased her movements and her gaze was almost compassionate as she spoke again. “It is not merely recent events that will need to be atoned for, my dear cousin. I speak of thousands of years’ worth of damage that you have caused. There are many ancient debts outstanding that will need to be repaid, and not just to humankind.”

The face that once belonged to Sister Mary Eunice looked pale and drawn for a few seconds, and then the eyes flashed once again.

“It was all well worth it, though. The world would have been a very dull place without me!”

Shachath could not repress a small smile at this last spark of defiance.

“Perhaps,” was all she would say to that, and then extended her hand, a loving gesture devoid of any threat. 

“Come now, it is time for us to depart.”


End file.
